Co-existing with Tigers Outside Protected Reserves
Context
With India’s tiger population increasingly dispersing beyond protected reserves, the government has introduced the Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves (TOTR) initiative. The programme aims to adopt a scientific, landscape-based approach to tiger conservation while minimising human-wildlife conflicts in shared landscapes.
Key Highlights
- India’s success in tiger conservation has led to a rising number of tigers moving beyond protected areas into human dominated landscapes, resulting in more frequent human – wildlife interactions.
- The Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves (TOTR) initiative seeks to develop a science-based conservation framework that balances tiger protection with the safety of local communities and their livelihoods.
- The initiative focuses on preventing conflicts through improved wildlife monitoring, rapid response teams, habitat management, community participation, and evidence-based conservation planning.
- State governments are expected to strengthen institutional capacity by deploying technologies such as GPS enabled tracking systems, drones, camera traps, and real-time surveillance for effective monitoring and conflict mitigation.
Key Concepts
- Project Tiger, launched in 1973, is India’s flagship tiger conservation programme aimed at securing viable tiger populations through habitat protection, scientific management, and community participation.
- The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), constituted under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, is responsible for strengthening tiger conservation, overseeing tiger reserves, and formulating national conservation strategies.
- Tiger Corridors are ecological linkages that connect fragmented habitats, facilitating wildlife movement, genetic exchange, and the long-term survival of tiger populations.
- The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 provides the legal framework for wildlife conservation by protecting wild animals, establishing protected areas, and regulating activities that affect biodiversity.